Shoppers pack Forum after major entrances reopen

Published 5:48 pm, Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Santa Claus, also known as Eldon Hansen, holds the ribbon-cutting scissors Nov. 27 at the opening of the new Forum Parkway ramp at Interstate 35 and Loop 1604.

Santa Claus, also known as Eldon Hansen, holds the ribbon-cutting scissors Nov. 27 at the opening of the new Forum Parkway ramp at Interstate 35 and Loop 1604.

Photo: Lisa Krantz / San Antonio Express-News

Shoppers pack Forum after major entrances reopen

1 / 1

Back to Gallery

Shoppers heading to The Forum at Olympia Parkway will find their trip less hectic as all major highway entrances to the shopping center have been reopened.

On Nov. 27, the Texas Department of Transportation reopened all three major entrances from Interstate 35 into The Forum, just in time for the Christmas holiday shopping season.

TxDOT and area officials officially opened the new Forum Parkway bridge linking northbound I-35 to The Forum the day before Thanksgiving. Selma Mayor Tom Daly and Live Oak Mayor Mary Dennis made remarks at the opening, with Santa Claus making a grand entrance aboard a Live Oak fire truck, the first vehicle to cross the bridge once it officially opened.

Two other entrances to The Forum were also reopened that same day, including the southbound exit ramp to Olympia Parkway and the southbound exit to Forum Parkway.

TxDOT spokesman Josh Donat said work crews raced against the clock and the cold weather to get all three entrances to the shopping center opened.

“We have all roads open to The Forum in time for the Christmas shopping season,” Donat said. “That was our goal and we were able to meet it. Our guys were working around the clock through the weekend to get (the entrances) opened. We appreciate their sacrifice and willingness to work out in the cold and wet weather.”

Most Popular

The opening of the new Forum Parkway bridge allowed TxDOT on Nov. 17 to reopen two ramps at Loop 1604 that lead to northbound I-35. TxDOT closed both of those ramps in September to allow work crews to work on the new Forum Parkway bridge.

Since the new Forum Parkway bridge is completed and all ramps to The Forum are reopened, Donat said motorists will now not to have worry about the traffic detours and traffic delays that came with the construction.

“We're excited to get it done and out of the way so folks can (do) what they need to do,” he said.

Christina Arseneau, senior property manager of The Forum at Olympia Parkway, said the reopening of all major entrances into shopping center helped improve traffic flow for the stores that were opened on Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

“It definitely made a huge difference,” Arseneau said.

Arseneau said The Forum was buzzing with activity on Thanksgiving Day as shoppers waited in line for stores to open their doors.

“This was the first year we had a number of tenants opened on Thanksgiving ,” Arseneau said. “The lines started getting long at 4 p.m. Thanksgiving Day.”

Since many stores began opening their doors on Thanksgiving Day evening instead of waiting until Black Friday, Arseneau said it gave shoppers more opportunities to buy items that were on sale.

“It certainly helped our customers,” she said. “They were able to get into the stores and select what they wanted. It wasn't the mad rush like it was in the past. The stores were opened for extended periods of time so (shoppers) could shop when it was convenient for them.

“Everybody filed in. There were no fights and no pushing,” Arseneau added. “It was very calm, very organized and very orderly.”